Dave Goldberg dies: Silicon Valley entrepreneur and husband of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg passes away aged 47

The Chief Executive of online research service SurveyMonkey passed away on Friday night

Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Facebook, with her husband David Goldberg, CEO of SurveyMonkey (Reuters)

Silicon Valley entrepreneur Dave Goldberg has died suddenly at the age of 47.

The technology tycoon and the Chief Executive of online research service SurveyMonkey passed away on Friday night.

The cause of death has not been disclosed but Facebook founder and friend Mark Zuckerberg said that it happened while Goldberg was on holiday with his wife, according to the New York Times.

Goldberg was married to the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook Sheryl Sandberg and the couple have two children together.

The news was announced on Facebook by Goldberg’s brother Robert, in a statement he wrote:

“It’s with incredible shock and sadness that I’m letting our friends and family know that my amazing brother, Dave Goldberg, beloved husband of Sheryl Sandberg, father of two wonderful children, and son of Paula Goldberg, passed away suddenly last night.

In this time of sorrow, we mourn his passing and remember what an amazing husband, father, brother, son and friend he was. No words can express the depth of loss we feel, but we want his children to learn how much he meant to all of you.

In lieu of donations, we want to celebrate his life in a manner that respects the family’s privacy as they cope with this tragic, life changing event: Sheryl, their children, and our family would be grateful if people would post their memories and pictures of Dave to his Facebook profile.”

SurveyMonkey also issued a statement on Goldberg’s death saying, “Dave’s genius, courage and leadership were overshadowed only by his compassion, friendship and heart. Our sympathy goes out to them and to all who were touched by this extraordinary man. We are all heartbroken.”

Tributes have been pouring on for Goldberg, with Zuckerberg posting on the social media site: “Dave Goldberg was an amazing person and I am glad I got to know him. My thoughts and prayers are with Sheryl and her family. I hope friends will join me in celebrating his life by sharing your memories of Dave on his profile, as his brother Rob suggests.”

While Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington shared a quote from Sandberg’s book Lean In in which she thanks Goldberg for his love and support.

Twitter CEO posted, “Heartbreaking. One of the truly great people on the planet, Dave was of almost unimaginably remarkable character.”

Goldberg went to Harvard and graduated with a degree in history and government. He worked in technology and music companies before joining SurkeyMonkey.

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg (Getty Images) (Getty images)

He married Sandberg in 2004, who has been named one of the most powerful business women in the world.

Sandberg is well-known for her work on gender equality and her best-selling 2013 self-help guide for women trying to succeed in the workplace Lean In.

Although Sandberg has not released a statement about the news, in Lean In she thanked her husband, “And finally, I want to thank my truly amazing husband, Dave Goldberg. Dave is my best friend, closest a advisor, dedicated coparent, and the love of my life…”